Nothing Can Stop Us
by thefireworkofthebunch
Summary: Lucy is the girl everyone can trust. You either love her or hate her, there is no inbetween, but next to nothing is known about her past life. It's her last year at Hogwarts and her past is about to be revealed. People wont look at her the same.
1. Welcome Home

The corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were dark and chilled by the night. The only light came from the dimmed fires posted at every pillar along the corridors. The castle was silent as its occupants were sound asleep in their warm beds, snuggled under the warm blankets. The students' dreamed of many happy things, some dreamt of not so happy things, and others simply did not dream. The silence of the corridors were broken by the soft padding of tennis shoes on the stone ground accompanied by the clicking of nails that belonged to a short haired, brown, standard dachshund.

A girl walked down the corridors with her head held high and her left arm in a cloth-made sling. Her brunette hair with a natural red tint to it was pulled up into a ponytail that was messy. She wore a pair of simple blue jeans and a blue t-shirt that were both torn and burned and stained with blood. Her exposed skin matched the clothing as it was dirty, cut, and bruised. The cloth sling had been made out of the jacket she had been wearing. The thought of dreams were far from her mind as she made her way down the corridors toward the head master's office. What was on her mind though was all the times she had seen these corridors. She had been near death where she was coming from and now she couldn't help but think of where she had grown up. Like many of the students in Hogwarts, it was her home, but to her the term took on a much stronger meaning.

The girl managed to make her way up the moving staircase and through the dark corridors with her dog without waking any of the portraits which she was grateful for because if they were to awake to see her, they would wake everyone in the castle and that was the last thing she wanted to happen. A small smile graced her lips when she finally reached the gargoyle which guarded the headmaster's office and she gently prodded him to wake him up.

"Passwo-," he started to say but stopped when he opened his eyes and saw who stood before him. "Ah, Lucy. Good to see you've returned safely," he said softly and Lucy's left side of her mouth lifted slightly. "He's been awaiting you." He slid aside to reveal a moving spiral staircase that led to the headmaster's office. She and the dachshund made their way up the stairs quickly and opened the large oak door without knocking. The dachshund ran in ahead of her and circled the room as Lucy closed the door softly behind her and then surveyed the room. The headmaster's office had not changed since she left. Silver devices filled the tables and shelves, some producing smoke and making sound. Thousands of books sat on all of the shelves against the high walls. The Sorting Hat sat atop one of the shelves, sleeping. The portraits of previous headmasters and headmistresses slept soundly in their frames. Fawkes the Phoenix sat perched on his silver stand next to the elegant oak desk. Upon seeing Lucy enter, Fawkes stretched his wings and lifted from his perch to fly the short distance to her shoulder. He saw the long gash that adorned her right forearm and tilted his head down and to the side so the two tears he produced would land on the gash. Lucy couldn't help the smile as the gash smoked with the magic held by Fawkes' tears and the gash healed without a scar. Lucy kissed his head when he tilted it her way as thanks and he flew back to his perch.

"You have not been to see Madame Pomfrey yet," a kind and age worn voice spoke from just in front of a door slightly in the back of the office. Lucy's eyes glided over to a man dressed in light blue robes with silver embroidering and met his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles. He was an elderly man whose white hair and beard was long enough to tuck into his belt and his eyes held a slight sparkle that only his could hold.

"I was going to see her after I saw you – I thought you'd be happy to know I'm alive," she told him with a smile. Dumbledore chuckled and nodded and walked toward her. The dachshund watched them from his spot on the floor in front of the desk. Dumbledore stopped in front of her and opened his arms which Lucy practically ran into. She wrapped her right arm around his waist and he hugged her gently but firmly to him. Lucy sighed and took in the comforting smell of the headmaster. Dumbledore let go of her after a minute and led her to a chair in front of his desk.

"I take it you did well?" he asked sitting down in his elegant high backed chair. Lucy let out a breathy scoffed and nodded.

"I did well," she said. "After all, I am here am I not?" she asked. Dumbledore smiled.

"Yes you are," he replied. "What happened?" he asked her.

"The ring was where you said it would be," Lucy started and dug a small, green satin pouch out of her pocket and handed it to Dumbledore who ran it through his nimble fingers. "I didn't expect anyone to know I was there, but something set an alarm off and Bellatrix showed. We dueled and I'll have to admit that I thought she was going to kill me, but Remus, Tonks and Kingsley showed and got me out of there," she said and slightly shuddered at the thought of dying. Claude, sensing her discomfort, jumped up into the chair with Lucy and curled up on her lap. Lucy smiled at him and ran her hand over his soft fur.

"I am sorry for putting you in harm's way, my dear," Dumbledore told sincerely. He didn't like the thought of Lucy in any kind of danger. Lucy shook her head at the man.

"I volunteered, Dumbledore. He needs to be stopped and I will put myself in harm's way if that means stopping Him," she told him seriously meaning every word coming out of her mouth. Dumbledore nodded believing her and slipped the ring out of the pouch. Lucy's eyebrows crinkled and she flinched slightly as she got an evil feeling from it. "That thing gives me the creeps," she said. Dumbledore nodded solemnly and sat the ring down on his desk.

"Thank you for retrieving this, Lucy," Dumbledore told her. Lucy nodded and stood up from her chair after Claude jumped off of her lap. Lucy nodded.

"Of course Dumbledore," she told him.

"Now I want you to go straight to Madame Pomfrey for her to fix that arm of yours," he told her looking over the top of his spectacles at her. Lucy chuckled and nodded.

"Of course, I wasn't thinking anything else," she told him. Dumbledore smiled and watched as the almost 18 year old made her way toward the door of his office with her dog. He thought of the fact this was her last year at Hogwarts and after years of watching over her, she was going to be out with the Order and not under the safety of Hogwarts. Lucy paused when she opened the oak door and turned back to Dumbledore. "Dumbledore?" she asked.

"Yes my dear?" he asked her. Lucy bit her lip for a minute.

"He hasn't found out yet as he?" she asked. Dumbledore smiled knowing whom she spoke of.

"No, my dear, you know you're the only that can tell him," he told Lucy who took a breath and nodded. She made to leave, but Dumbledore stopped her. "Lucy, I'd tell him soon," he said.

"I know, Dumbledore. I know," she told him. Dumbledore gave her a smile.

"Sleep well, Lucy," he said. Lucy bowed her head in thanks and exited the headmaster's office. Her and Claude made their way down the spiral staircase, said goodnight to the gargoyle, and then started down the dimly lit corridors toward the infirmary. They were just a corridor away from the infirmary when Lucy ran into Nearly Headless Nick who had been floating the other. Lucy gasped slightly when the chill of being touched by a ghost washed over her and stopped.

"Oh my dear girl I am so sorry," Sir Nicholas said upon hearing her gasp. Lucy laughed and turned to face him.

"It's alright Nick," she told him. Nick's face lit up seeing Lucy.

"Lucy! I heard rumors you would be returning soon. I am glad to see that they are true and you are back alive," he told her floating a bit closer. Lucy chuckled slightly.

"You know that I would've come back one way or another to haunt with you," she told him and Nick smiled at her.

"It lightens my night to hear you say that." He then noticed her am in the sling. "Going to the infirmary are you?" he asked. Lucy nodded.

"I am."

"Well then, I'll let you be on your way. I have to finish my nightly hauntings," he told her. Lucy smiled brightly. He grabbed her right hand and kissed it in goodbye. The chill from before washed over Lucy's hand but she smiled. "Goodnight Lucinda," he said then disappeared through a wall.

"I told you not to call me Lucinda," she said after him toward the wall. She heard a floating laugh and knew Nick had heard her. Lucy rolled her eyes and shook her head and continued to the infirmary, but unfortunately she and Nick had woken a portrait or two and she soon heard them whispering, "Lucy's back! She's returned!" By the time she was through with Madame Pomfrey, the whole castle would know she was back. Lucy finally arrived at the infirmary and pushed one of the large double oak doors in and walked in. Madame Pomfrey hurried out of her office hearing the door open and knew who exactly was walking into her infirmary.

"Oh thank Merlin, Lucy. You're safe," she said with a relieved sigh as she hurried over to Lucy and led her to a bed. Lucy sat down as Claude hopped up behind her and let Madame Pomfrey start examining her. "My goodness dear, what happened to you?" she asked as she untied the sling and gently moved Lucy's arm. Lucy winced at the pain.

"Oh you know, dueling dark wizards," she said with a chuckle. Madame Pomfrey shook her head at the girl and then nodded.

"Your arm is broken, but that's an easy fix," she said with a smile and then turned to fetch a potion Lucy knew well. Madame Pomfrey poured the orange potion into a glass goblet and Lucy made a face as she hand it over. "Come now, dear. Drink up," Madame Pomfrey said sternly. Lucy closed her eyes and gulped the potion down. Once she had swallow she made a disgusted face. It was the foulest thing she had ever put in her mouth. "That's a girl." Madame Pomfrey took up the goblet and put them aside as Lucy's arm started tingling and burning slightly. The mending of bones was not a pleasant feeling, but it was better than re-growing bones. "Did Claude accompany you on this journey?" Madame Pomfrey asked as she set to healing the scratches, burns and bruises that covered Lucy's body. Lucy nodded and patted Claude's head.

"I needed his help, he's got some nose on him he has," she said. Claude picked his head up and Lucy spotted a smile on his lips.

"He's one amazing pet," Madame Pomfrey said glancing at the small dog.

"Did anything happen in my short absence?" Lucy asked the nurse watching as she healed a nasty burn on Lucy's stomach. Madame Pomfrey shook her head with a laugh.

"Not much can happen the first day, Lucy," she said. Lucy smiled and shrugged.

"With Fred, George and Seamus in this castle? Of course it can," she said with a smile. Madame Pomfrey looked up at her.

"You should add yourself to that list," she said. Lucy pulled a pout.

"That sort of hurt Madame Pomfrey," she said and Madame Pomfrey just shook her head.

"All you missed was the feast and the introduction of Delores Umbridge." Madame Pomfrey's voice took on a note of venom at the name. Lucy grimaced.

"She's not a likeable person," Lucy said shaking her head to add emphasis to her words. Madame Pomfrey only nodded in agreement.

"How's the arm?" she asked. Lucy glanced down at her left arm that had stopped tingling and burning a minute ago and stretched out her fingers and moved her wrist without any pain.

"All healed," she said happily. Madame Pomfrey smiled and took Lucy's chin between her thumb and pointer and turned her face to the side to get a look at the bruise that adorned Lucy's temple down to her cheek bone.

"I'm afraid this one is too bad to heal by magic," she said with a slight tut and released Lucy chin. Lucy's right corner of her lip twitched upward and she shrugged.

"It's alright Madame Pomfrey. I don't mind a few bruises and scars. They leave stories to be told," she told the nurse. Madame Pomfrey smiled at the girl. She was unusual, but in a good way. She always saw the light in dark things and managed to find something good about something bad.

"Well, you're good to go," she said patting Lucy's knee. Lucy smiled and hopped off the bed. "And please try to stay out of trouble. It's your last year dear," she said as Lucy and Claude made their way to the doors. Lucy turned around.

"I can't make any promises Madame Pomfrey," she said with a wink. The nurse huffed.

"And get plenty of sleep!" she called after the girl just as she slipped between the door. Lucy chuckled softly and looked down at Claude as they made their up the moving staircase toward Gryffindor Tower.

"You happy to be home boy?" she asked him. Claude looked up at her and gave a bark. Lucy smiled and looked around herself.

"Me too," she said. The soon arrived to the long corridor that at the end held the portrait of the Fat Lady and Lucy could've sworn she heard footsteps run away from them. It wouldn't be surprising, if the portraits had done what they usually do and gossiped all the way to the portraits in Gryffindor Tower who would've woken some of the students. "What'd you think boy? You think they're up?" she asked Claude as they neared the Fat Lady. Claude just looked up at her and Lucy chuckled. After the Fat Lady had stopped fussing over the fact that she was back, Lucy gave her the password and she swung open and Lucy and Claude stepped inside the short corridor to the Common Room. Upon entering said common room she was immediately tackled from both sides by two tall, identical, ginger boys. Lucy made a face as they hugged her at the same time.

"Fred! George! Please let go of me," she begged and then heard laughing. "Oi. Shut it Lee," she said, but the laughing didn't stop nor did the hugging.

"No way," the ginger on the right said and Lucy knew it was George.

"You disappear before we leave for Hogwarts without an explanation," the one on the left said and Lucy smiled slightly hearing Fred's voice.

"And then we have to hear from portraits you're back," said George.

"There is no way we're letting go right now," said Fred. Lucy whined softly.

"But I can't breathe," she complained and Claude gave a bark.

"Don't care," the twins said at the same time. Fred and George Weasley had been Lucy's closest friends since their first day at Hogwarts when they met her before the Sorting Ceremony. She had stumbled in late with a dachshund puppy following and they had liked her from the moment they saw the glimmer of mischief in her eyes when she explained to Professor McGonagall why she had been late. (She said it was because she had gotten lost, but the twins now knew that wasn't the case.)

"Okay, c'mon boys. Let her go." Lucy smiled widely at the sound of the thick American accent. Fred and George let Lucy go and Lucy opened her eyes to see her best girlfriend standing with her arms crossed over her tank top clad chest. Her waist long brown hair was pulled into a loose and messy bun and she had plaid pajama pants over her long legs. Lucy smiled sweetly at the American girl who had also been Lucy's best friend since the Sorting Ceremony. (Lucy had heard her say one word and wanted to be friends because of her accent.)

"I'm back," Lucy said with a shrug. Hydie glared. "Hey! At least I didn't die, Hydie," Lucy said dropping the smile.

"That doesn't make it better, Lucy," Hydie said sternly. Lucy pouted.

"Will you just bloody hug me already?" she asked. Hydie rolled her eyes but took the three steps to hug her best friend. Hydie hugged Lucy tightly to her thankful she was alive for she knew exactly where Lucy had gone off to. Lucy smiled when Hydie let her go.

"Oi! What am I? Chopped liver?" a dark skinned boy with dreadlocks asked throwing his hands up. Fred, George, Hydie and Lucy sniggered.

"Oh I'm sorry Lee. Of course you're not," Lucy said and hugged him tightly. She had met Lee the same time she had met Fred and George and they became close. Lucy then turned back to the twins who had the same flaming red hair, lanky build, and freckles to hug each one properly - though Fred's hug lasted a bit longer.

"Where did you go? And what happened to your clothes?" George asked looking over her burned and ripped clothing.

"And what happened to give you that nasty thing?" Fred said pointing to the bruise on the side of Lucy's face. Lucy smiled slightly and slapped Fred's hand away.

"I was on a mission for Dumbledore and events happened that were unexpected," she explained briefly. Both the twins and Lee's eyebrows knit together. Fred didn't like the secrecy.

"Was this one of his secret missions? Dad went on one last week," George said and Lucy nodded.

"I wish I could tell you more boys, but I can't," she said with an apologetic look. She hated keeping secrets from her friends. Lucy bit her lip thinking of the biggest secret she was keeping.

"Not your fault you can't tell us Luc," Lee said and Lucy glanced at him with a small smile. She then tried to stifle a yawn, but Hydie couldn't.

"We need sleep – especially you Lucy. Plus classes start tomorrow," Hydie said and the four looked at her. "So off to bed," she said sternly and pushed the boys and Lucy toward the staircase.

"Yes, _mum_," George said as they reached the stairs to the boys' dormitory. "Goodnight Luc," he said and kissed her head he then bent down to pat Claude on his head.

"It's nice to have you back," Fred added and also kissed the side of her head. When he did so, Lucy felt small tingles run down her body and she smiled at the boys.

"It's nice to be back. We'll see you in the morning," she told them and then she and Hydie climbed the girls' stairs to their dorm that they shared with Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson. They carefully opened and shut the door silently with Claude following them. Once in the room, Claude ran over to his and Lucy's bed and jumped up and watched as she quickly changed out of her torn and mangled clothes and into a pair of pajama pants and a tank top.

"I really am happy you're back, Lucy," Hydie whispered to her and Lucy smiled at her in the dark as she crawled under the warm blankets of her bed with Claude.

"You have no idea how happy I am to be home," Lucy told her and Hydie smiled lying down to fall back asleep. It didn't take long for the events of the day to catch up to Lucy as Claude made himself comfortable in the dip of her stomach. Her eyes fluttered shut and her mind began to shut down with exhaustion and it wasn't long until Lucy had entered the dream world that was sleep.


	2. First Day Back Part 1

**Sorry for such the long wait readers! It's just hard to re-write chapters, but I am going to try to get chapters out more quickly! And this one is extremely long for y'all. Now I need to discuss just a few things before we get to the story so PLEASE READ THIS! **

**First off: I know that roommates at Hogwarts are kept within the same year, but I really didn't feel like making a whole new character to fill the dorm with Hydie, Lucy, Alicia and Angelina so I just added Katie - who is just a year younger than the others. **

**Second: THIS ONE'S VERY IMPORTANT! The time line. I am not going by when the books were published but when Harry was born. So he was born in 1980, meaning the first book took place during the years 1991 and 1992. So: 2nd book 1992-1993; 3rd book 1993-1994; 4th book 1994-1995; 5th book 1995-1996; 6th book 1996-1997; and 7th book 1997-1998. This story takes place during the 5th book so it's 1994 (the year I was born!) right now. **

**Thirdly: I DID NOT MEAN TO COMMIT PLAGIARISM! The section near the end of the chapter is straight from the book because I could not re-word J.K. Rowling's words so it is mostly hers! I DO NOT CLAIM WRITING THOSE WORDS. (Though I did add some of my own because of my characters)**

**And lastly: I do not own the Harry Potter world [wish I did though]. I only own Lucy, Hydie, Hydie's family and anyone else you meet who were not mentioned by J.K. Rowling (trust me you'll meet more characters later on ;]) Now: ON WITH THE CHAPTER! **

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><p>The early morning sunlight filtered into the girls' dormitory room through the large glass windows and brightened the room, but that wasn't what woke Lucy that morning. Angelina Johnson has always been the early raiser amongst her friends and woke with sun. She had stretched and once fully awake, went to wake her mates, but had stopped when she saw Lucy fast asleep in her bed. Angelina had let out a small squeal seeing her friend and went straight for her bed to wake her.<p>

"Lucy!" she had exclaimed excitedly shaking the brunette's shoulder. Lucy was not like her friend in being an early riser. In fact – Lucy hatted waking up. So when her friend had roused her, Lucy promptly groaned and rolled over trying to get away from the hand shaking her, but Angelina stayed persistent knowing her friend was hard to wake. "Lucy, wake up so I can hug you properly," Angelina said. Lucy groaned again.

"Sod off Ange," she muttered knowing exactly who was waking her up. Angelina smiled at her friend's insult.

"Lucy. Wake up," Angelina said trying to pull the blankets off of Lucy, but Lucy grabbed hold of them and held tight. Claude decided to jump off the bed and up into Hydie's to watch the two girls.

"No. Leave me alone Ange," Lucy said and Angelina gave up pulling the blankets with a grunt. Lucy relaxed again, but a devious smirk came over Angelina's lips as she looked at Lucy's head. Lucy huffed thinking she had won, but then her comfy pillow was gone from under her head and her head hit the mattress. Lucy bolted up and glared at Angelina who was holding Lucy's pillow with a victorious smirk. "I'm up now you twat. Happy?" Lucy asked. Angelina fully smiled and hugged her friend tight.

"Very much so," she said happily and Lucy rolled her eyes, but hugged Angelina back. "When'd you get back?" Angelina asked pulling away.

"Very late last night," Hydie answered and the two looked over to see her sitting up in bed.

"And you didn't wake us?" Angelina asked accusingly. Hydie shrugged.

"You were going to see her today – I didn't feel the need to wake y'all," she explained and Lucy took the opportunity to grab her pillow from Angelina's hand and throw it behind her head as she fell back.

"Oh no you don't," Angelina said grabbing Lucy's blankets before she could. "It's time to get up." Lucy grumbled, but sat up again. Angelina smiled and went to wake up Alicia and Katie.

"Merlin, I hate mornings," Lucy complained getting out of her bed.

"I know," Hydie said pointedly. Lucy turned her glare on her best friend before grabbing her shower things and towel.

"I'm going to get a shower before those two wake up," she said motioning to Katie and Alicia who were slowly waking up. Hydie nodded and watched her friend make her way to the dormitory door. Claude jumped off Hydie's bed and followed his master out of the room and then ran down stairs and out of the portrait to do his morning's activities. Lucy sighed making the short walk to the seventh year girls' shower and once inside turned the hot water on in one of the stalls. The shower room was mostly made of glistening white tiles with a number of shower stalls lining the walls and sinks and mirrors lining the opposite wall. Gold and red curtains hung to hide the showers. As the water warmed up, Lucy stripped her pajamas to where she was just in her bra and panties and looked at herself in the mirror. Madame Pomfrey had missed a pretty nasty bruise on her ribs that covered most of her left side. Lucy sighed and looked at her green eyes. The green eyes she had gotten from her mum who died when she was little. The last thing she could remember her mum telling her was to protect her brother. To be brave and strong for her little baby brother. Lucy had been three. Lucy's parents had been murdered when she was three years old and she wasn't even there when it had happened. She had been with her godfather in the muggle world. A tear slid down Lucy's cheek and it seemed to bring her back to the steam filled bathroom with a start. She wiped the tear away and pulled off her bra and panties before stepping under the hot water. Lucy closed her eyes as the water cascaded down her body and washed away the aches and grime of the past few days. These were hard times they lived in and sometimes you had to risk everything to save everything. She had risked her life getting that ring for Dumbledore, but she was closer to saving her brother's with that ring now in Dumbledore's possession.

Lucy had spent a good thirty minutes in the shower letting the hot water massage out the tense muscles of worry in her shoulders and back. When she turned off the water, she heard that the girls' bathroom had other morning occupancies and she reached out a hand to grab the towel. She brought it in and rubbed the water off her body before wrapping it tightly around her body and securing it. Lucy then stepped out of the stall, grabbed her clothes and shower things and quickly making her way back to the dorm as the cold air hit her slightly damp skin and made goosebumps raise all over her exposed skin. When Lucy made it back to the dorm she shut the door behind her and found that Angelina was gone and Katie and Alicia were both buttoning up their shirts. Hydie was sitting on her bed in front of a two way mirror and Lucy immediately knew Hydie was talking to her older brother Jerry.

"Lucy!" Both Katie and Alicia exclaimed when they looked up to the door from their shirts when they heard it open and close. Lucy smiled at the two chasers.

"Hi girls," she said as Katie pulled her into a hug.

"Angelina told us you were back," Alicia said taking her hug as well.

"You missed the introduction of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Katie said with an eye roll. Both girls noticed the large bruise on Lucy's face, but didn't comment on it.

"So I'm told," Lucy said making her way to her bed side table to pull out her wand.

"The term hasn't even started yet and I already hate Delores Umbridge," Katie said and Alicia nodded her head in agreement. Lucy chuckled as she flicked her wand at her dripping wet hair and it dried instantly in its natural straight way.

"Did I miss anything else?" Lucy asked grabbed and pair of grey panties and a bra from her trunk to slip on under her towel. Alicia shook her head.

"The Sorting Hat had a new song, but that was it," she said. Lucy's eyebrows knitted together.

"A new song?" she asked. Alicia nodded.

"Well he talked about the founders and how they made the houses and then how they fell apart and Slytherin left Hogwarts. Then he said that Hogwarts was threatened from the outside and that we needed to unite inside," she explained her brow slightly creased as if she was confused on what the Hat had meant. Lucy shared a fleeting glance with Hydie whom had just finished talking to her brother and was started to get dressed.

"It was most definitely different," Katie commented finishing her tie and pulling on her sweater. Lucy nodded.

"That is different," she said and pulled off her towel now that she was covered beneath.

"It's funny though; the hat separates us into different houses so why who he talk about us uniting?" Alicia asked with a slight laugh and again, with her back turned to her two other friends, Lucy shared another look with Hydie. They knew exactly what the Sorting Hat meant. The Hat knew He was back. While the rest of the world denied it, the Hat knew. "Well anyways, we're going to go get breakfast," Alicia said and grabbed her leather satchel off her bed.

"See you down there," Katie said grabbing her back pack and smiling at Hydie and Lucy. Lucy smiled back pulling on her grey skirt as the two made their way out of the room shutting the door behind them.

"The Hat knows," Lucy told Hydie who was pulling on her skirt and white shirt. Hydie nodded.

"You'd think the rest of the student body would too," she said and buttoned up her shirt.

"They're too terrified to believe it," Lucy said following her friend's lead and then rolling her sleeves up. "Which does them no good because when He decides he's ready to strike, fear won't help them." Lucy was irritated at the rest of the Wizardry world for not accept that the Dark Lord has returned and is gathering His forces. Hydie just sighed.

"We can't really do anything about it Lucy," she said and pulled on her sweater vest after doing up her tie.

"We can try to make them believe," Lucy pointed out applying some eyeliner and mascara to her eyes and securing the diamond heart necklace her mother left in her possession before pulling on her robes.

"But people believe what they want to believe and we can't do anything about that," Hydie said. "Now c'mon. We need to get to Great Hall to get our schedules." Hydie grabbed her leather back pack and wand and waited for Lucy by the door as Lucy finished tying up her black Converses and grabbed her messenger bag that was littered with buttons.

"Alright, let's go," Lucy said walking to the door. Hydie pulled it open and the two girls stepped out of the room and made their way down the stairs and into the Common Room. "How's Jerry and Mandy?" Lucy asked as the two pushed open the portrait and stepped into the hall.

"They're good. Jerry said that the baby is due in December," Hydie said. "Mandy thinks it'll come on the fifteenth." Lucy chuckled. Jerry's wife, Mandy, loved the number fifteen for some reason. She had thought that their first daughter, Sally, was going to be born on March fifteenth, but when the day came it was March twentieth.

"Maybe she'll be right this time," Lucy said as the two made their way down the moving staircases quickly, skipping over the step that Peeves jinxed.

"Hopefully," Hydie muttered. Students in the halls that had noticed Lucy was gone last night welcomed her back and tried to ask about the bruise, but the two just brushed the questions off continued to the vast Great Hall. When they arrived, they noticed that almost all of the Ravenclaws were seated as usual – they were all early risers. The Slytherin table was mostly emptied and Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables were half full as was usual. (Gryffindors didn't really enjoy mornings much.) Hydie and Lucy made their way down the long table toward the end where they found Fred, George and Lee seated.

"Morning boys," Lucy said with a smile slipping into her usual spot between Fred and Lee while Hydie – after kissing George good morning – sat across from Lucy next to Fred's twin.

"Morning," all three boys chimed together. "Sleep well, Luc?" Fred asked. Lucy smiled at him while grabbing some toast.

"Surprisingly well," she said. It was a fairly known fact among her friends that Lucy was sometimes plagued by not so pleasant dreams that had her waking up in the middle of the night, but last night she hadn't been plagued by such dreams. In fact, she couldn't remember if she dreamed or not last night. "How are our products coming along?" Lucy asked and took a bite out of her toast.

"We put up a sign this morning advertising for testers over the date for Hogsmeade in October," Lee said. Lucy chuckled.

"We didn't look at the board this morning, but I would assume Hermione's taken it down by now with her being a prefect and all," Hydie said and Lucy nodded sadly.

"She's going to be tough to get around," Lucy said.

"She won't be a problem," George said. Both Hydie and Lucy raised a brow.

"Are you talking about the same Hermione? Hermione Granger? Miss rule follower?" Lucy asked him. Fred chuckled next to her.

"It's their O.W.L. year this year," he pointed out.

"Even Hermione might break under pressure and need a sweet," George said. Lucy snorted and shook her head.

"Unlikely," she told them just as Hermione walked in the Great Hall with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley – Fred and George's younger brother. Upon seeing Harry, Lucy felt a twinge of nerves. She watched as the three walked through the Great Hall receiving a lot of cold looks from the other students – even Gryffindors. Lucy felt a twinge of anger toward the student body for treating the three in such manor, but before her anger had time to grow Hydie kicked Lucy under the table. Lucy looked back at the brunette with a small glare.

_"When are you going to tell him?"_ Hydie signed to her. Lucy sighed.

_"Soon." _She signed back. This was common for Lucy and Hydie to do. Hydie's aunt was deaf so she had learned at a young age and then taught Lucy their first year when Lucy had seen Hydie do it.

_"How soon is soon?"_ Hydie asked.

_"I don't know Hydie. But soon," _Lucy told her with an exasperated sigh. Hydie nodded and then the girls noticed Fred, George and Lee staring at them.

"What were you talking about?" Fred asked making Lucy chuckle softly. The girls had tried to teach Fred and George how to sign their third year, but it had failed miserably.

"None of your business," Hydie said with a slight head tilt. George pouted next to her.

"That means it was world domination," Lee said with a nod. Lucy looked at him and slammed her fork down.

"Bollocks Lee! Who told you?" she exclaimed. Lee chuckled and shrugged.

"Good guesser," he said and Lucy playfully glared at the dark skinned boy. Angelina suddenly appeared next to Lee and leaned over to look at Fred and George.

"Morning Ange," Lee told her.

"Morning boys," she replied. "Listen, Oliver's made me Captain."

"Good one," Fred said and Angelina smiled.

"Thank you," she told him, "but we need a new Keeper now that Oliver's gone and I've been telling everyone that tryouts will be held on Friday at five o'clock and I want the whole team there so I can see how the new person will fit in," she informed the twins sternly who nodded.

"We'll be there," they said. Angelina fixed them with a look.

"Please be on time," she said. The twins nodded again.

"We promise," they said. Angelina smiled.

"Good. Have a good day," she said and walked off. Lucy watched her for a moment as she walked back down the table to where Alicia and Katie sat. The morning owls came shortly after Angelina's departure and an owl had landed in front of Hydie. It was fairly large barn owl and Lucy recognized it as her dad's. Hydie took the sodden letter from the bird's beak; fed it some grapes and then it happily flew away. Hydie undid the one page letter and quickly read it.

"I miss Oli already," Lucy commented turning back to her friends. Hydie smiled while Fred and George shared a discreet look.

"I heard he fancied you Lucy," Lee said. Lucy looked to him completely missing how Fred tensed at the mention.

"That," she said pointing her fork at him, "was just a rumor. He actually fancied one Miss Katie Bell." She pointed her fork towards her blonde haired roommate.

"Really?" Lee asked. Hydie and Lucy nodded. "How'd you know?"

"Well he told me," Hydie said giving Lee a look that said 'obviously'. "We are cousins after all."

"McGonagall's passing out schedules," George said and everyone looked to where McGonagall was making her way down the table handing out this terms schedule.

"Yay," Hydie said dully making Lucy and Fred snigger.

"Morning Professor," Lucy said brightly when Professor McGonagall reached them.

"Good morning, Lucy," Professor McGonagall said with a small smile. She ran through her stack of schedules handing Lee his first followed by Hydie, Lucy, Fred and George. They thanked her and ran over their schedules even though it was the same from last year, some classes had been moved around.

"I've got Astronomy first," said Lee with a groan and got up from the table. "I'll see you lot later," he said.

"Bye Lee!" Hydie and Lucy called after him as he made his way down the table. A few minutes later Claude jumped into Lee's empty spot.

"Hi boy," Lucy said rubbing his ear and kissing his head. He gave a happy bark in reply.

"Looks like we've got Herbology first," Hydie said and pursed her lips slightly.

"Should be a fairly easy day," Lucy commented about the rest of their schedule. Fred and George snorted.

"You see we have McGonagall today right?" Fred asked. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Oh come off it, she's fine," she told him swatting his shoulder.

"She doesn't give you tons of detentions now does she?" George asked.

"We don't give her a reason to now do we?" Hydie shot back at him. George gave her a slightly playful glare. Lucy smiled at the two. Hydie and George had started dating last year when George bucked up the courage to ask Hydie to the Yule Ball which she had said yes to. George had liked Hydie since their fourth year while Hydie hadn't liked George until their fifth. (Lucy found this hard to believe and thought Hydie liked him since their third year.)

"We should get going," Lucy said after a minute of Hydie and George's stare down and the four got up from their spots with Claude following. Hydie put her father's letter into her bag and the four made their way down the table until they heard Ron complaining about today's schedule.

"… Trelawney, and that Umbridge woman all in one day! I wish Fred and George'd hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted. . . ." he was saying. George and Fred grinned at each and hurried to their brother.

"Do mine ears deceive me?" Fred asked as he and George squeezed onto the bench beside Harry. "Hogwarts prefects surely don't wish to skive off lessons?" Lucy and Hydie stood behind the boys and shared an eye roll at their behavior.

"Everything okay at home?" Lucy asked Hydie as Ron shoved his schedule under Fred's nose and complained some more. Hydie nodded.

"Dad was just letting me know that he and Mom are going to America for two weeks to see my Grandma so they'll be harder to get a hold of," she told her friend as Fred told Ron he could have a Nosebleed Nougat for cheap. Lucy nodded in understanding.

"Why's it cheap?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Because you'll keep bleeding till you shrivel up," George said and grabbed a kipper.

"We don't have an antidote yet," Lucy explained when George didn't.

"Cheers," Ron said moodily and pocketed his schedule, "but I think I'll take the lessons."

"Speaking of your Skiving Snackboxes," Hermione said, eyeing the four beadily, "you can't advertise for testers on the Gryffindor notice board." Lucy nudged Fred with a smile.

"Say who?" George said, looking astonished.

"Says me," said Hermione. "And Ron."

"Leave me out of it," said Ron hastily.

Hermione glared at him. Fred, George and Lucy sniggered.

"What about the wall?" Lucy asked and Hydie elbowed her friend. Hermione looked up at her with a small glare.

"No," she said pointedly. Lucy made a playful face at the bushy haired girl.

"You'll be singing a different tune soon enough, Hermione," Fred said, thickly buttering a crumpet. You'd think they didn't just get done eating. "You're staring your fifth year, you'll be begging us for a Snackbox before long."

"And why would starting fifth year mean I want a Skiving Snackbox?" asked Hermione.

"Fifth year's O.W.L. year," said George.

"So?" Lucy shared a look with Hydie.

"So you've got your exams coming up, haven't you? They'll be keeping your noses so hard to that grindstone they'll be rubbed raw," Fred said with satisfaction.

"Half our year had minor breakdowns coming up to O.W.L.s," George said happily. "Tears and tantrums . . . Patria Stimpson kept coming over faint. . . ."

"Kenneth Towler came out in boils, d'you remember?" Lucy said adding to the list.

"That's 'cause we put Bulbadox Powder in in his pajamas," George said when Fred nodded in agreement with Lucy.

"Oh yeah," Fred said grinning. "I'd forgotten. . . . Hard to keep track sometimes, isn't it?"

"The only ones who managed to get through them without any breakdown what-so-ever were Lucy and Hydie here," George said jabbing a thumb over his shoulder to the girls. "Lucy got all twelve O.W.L.s and Hydie got ten."

"Oh I had a few breakdowns," Hydie said. Lucy nodded.

"You just weren't there to see them," Lucy said and noticed Hermione staring at her.

"You got all twelve O.W.L.s?" she asked. Lucy nodded. "How?" Lucy shrugged.

"Just did," she said and Hermione gapped.

"Anyway, it's a nightmare of a year, the fifth," said George. "If you care about exam results anyway, Fred and I managed to keep our spirits up somehow."

"Yeah . . . you got, what was it, three O.W.L.s each?" said Ron.

"Yep," Fred said unconcernedly. "But we feel our futures lie outside the world of academic achievement."

"We seriously debated whether we were going to bother coming back for our seventh year," George said brightly, "now that we've got –"

He broke off suddenly at a nudge from Lucy and a warning look from Harry, who knew George had been about to mention the Triwizard winnings he had given them.

" – now that we've got our O.W.L.s," George said hastily. "I mean, do we really need N.E.W.T.s? But we didn't think Mum could take us leaving school early, not on top of Percy turning out to be the world's biggest prat."

"And not to mention Hydie and I," said Lucy. Fred smiled at the girls.

"Right. We're not going to waste our last year here, though," said Fred, looking affectionately around the Great Hall. "We're going to use it to do a bit of market research, find out exactly what the average Hogwarts student requires from his joke shop, carefully evaluate the results of our research, and then produce the products to fit the demand."

Harry had taken noticed to Lucy looking at him every now and then as Hermione asked the twins about money. He found it strange that Lucy would be looking at him, but over the years he had felt a vibe with her. As if he's known her his whole life, but he had only met her when he was eleven. He glanced up and met her green eyes and then quickly looked away, his face a bit hot.

Lucy had been glancing at Harry even now and then with a million thoughts and scenarios running through her head when he glanced up and their green eyes met. Harry looked away quickly and Lucy noticed a pink tinge to his cheeks that made her smile. She watched then as he deliberately dropped his fork and dived down to retrieve it.

"As us no questions and we'll tell you no lies, Hermione," Fred said nodding to Hermione. Lucy smiled again at the boys.

"Come along boys, we have to get to Herbology," Hydie said just as Harry came back up with his fork in hand. Fred and George agreed, grabbed handfuls of toast and stood.

"We might be able to sell a few Extendable years before," said George happily. The four started to make their way from the three, but Lucy stopped and turned to them.

"Oh, and do be careful around Umbridge," she said and seemed to look directly at Harry. "She's got a bit evil to her." Lucy then hurried to catch up with Fred, George, and Hydie with Claude following behind her closely. The three watched Lucy go with a curious looks. _Why had she bother to warn him? _Harry thought as Hermione and Ron discussed the twins' joke shop.

Hydie wrapped her robe around herself tightly as the four stepped out into the chilly morning of September. The clouds over head were grey and miserable, but Lucy smiled slightly as they made their way through the muddy grounds to the green houses.

"I love the rain," said Lucy. Claude barked in agreement.

"I do not," Hydie grumbled shivering slightly as a chilled breeze blew their hair back. George smiled at his girlfriend's action and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Hydie," he said pressing a kiss to her temple, "you'll be inside the green house soon enough." Hydie didn't like that idea either. The green houses were located behind the school and outside, so they were quite chilly during the fall and winter, but they were always a few degrees warmer than outside. When the four finally arrived at the green houses, Hydie, Lucy and Claude slipped inside and left Fred and George to do their selling of their Ears. Claude curled up on a pillow that Professor Sprout laid out every year just for him behind the girls' seats and out of the way of feet as Hydie and Lucy sat down and discussed whatever came to mind until class started and Fred and George joined the two.

Lucy tried hard to focus on the lesson, but soon gave up as her mind would not stop thinking of more pressing matters that she was worried about. How was she going to tell him?


End file.
